Hillel introduces new international dining destination

Chef Dan Esses opens his new restaurant, Rimon, within the Goldie & Morris Mintz Center for Jewish Life this August. (Photo by Ryan Rivet)

Curried chickpea and kale burgers and Korean chicken wings are among the “reimagined kosher foods” that Tulane Hillel will showcase as it welcomes Chef Dan Esses and his new restaurant, Rimon. The restaurant, opening in early August, will be housed in the Goldie & Morris Mintz Center for Jewish Life (912 Broadway St.).

Esses is currently the owner of Frenchmen Street hotspot Three Muses (536 Frenchmen St.).

“Students from all demographics, coming from all corners of campus, are the clientele. The food that Dan is creating is representative of that,” said Rabbi Yonah Schiller, executive director at Tulane Hillel. “There’s a beautiful alignment between his vision for food and our vision for Hillel.”

“There’s a beautiful alignment between his vision for food and our vision for Hillel.”

— Rabbi Yonah Schiller, executive director at Tulane Hillel

When conceptualizing the new restaurant, Schiller and Esses wanted a name that was representative of the core values held by both the local center and Hillel campuses nationwide.

The duo landed on the moniker Rimon — the Hebrew word for pomegranates, which often symbolize wisdom within the Jewish faith. The name also reflects the pomegranate tree planted outside of the Mintz Center and the painting of the fruit tree rendered on the wall within the building’s foyer.

Schiller notes that Rimon also aspires to foster community inclusivity, serving up dishes to both Tulane students on the go and locals looking for a new dining destination.

“I’ll be doing more grab and go options, as speed and ease are something that everyone on campus looks for. If you want to sit down and eat, great. If you want to grab something and leave, great,” said Esses.

Working with local, seasonal ingredients, Esses is creating a delectably diverse menu of dishes that reflects his experience in preparing French, Korean, Jewish and Israeli cuisine.